Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with how organisms interact with one another and with their environment. The purpose of this unit is to teach students the concepts of ecosystems and the critical relationships that exist within it. Students will analyze how energy flows through these systems, and the diversity and impact of organisms, communities, and populations around us.
This unit on ecology will begin in January and take place immediately following a unit on photosynthesis. The ecology unit will take about 2 1/2 weeks to cover, including a common task, two quizzes, and a unit exam.
First, students will gain knowledge of the principles of ecology, including what ecology is, what ecologists do, and identify different biomes and important aspects of an organism’s environment (i.e. biotic vs. abiotic factors). Next we will study how energy is either produced or consumed by different organisms and study how this energy flows through systems (i.e. food webs). Students will complete a common task in which they will analyze food chains and webs and work to display proficiency. Students will then compare and contrast different biomes of the Earth, while analyzing factors that identify communities and their existence. Next, we will look into the cycling of important nutrients and matter (i.e. nitrogen cycle) within an ecosystem and learn the important processes involved in each, relating this back to how organisms obtain these nutrients. Lastly, students will understand the importance of biological diversity, environmental and human impacts on ecosystems, and the role of ecologists.
Summative Assessments:
- Quiz on food chains, webs, and energy flow
- Quiz on the cycles of matter
- Unit Test
Formative Assessments:
- Homework
- Questions asked during lessons that foster higher level thinking skills in Bloom's Taxonomy including analyzing, synthesizing,
compare/contrast, and differentiating.
- Quizzes can also be used as formative assessment because once graded, I can see where students are still struggling and where
some confusion lies. I plan to address these before moving on.
Rationale
Rationale of lesson sequence:
The first day students will be able to start thinking about the study of ecology, and how organisms relate to one another and their surroundings by completing the biosphere activity demonstrating the levels of organization, and by completing the homework comparing and contrasting biotic and abiotic factors of an environment. This first day the students learn basic terms such as what producers are, what consumers are, how each obtain energy, environmental factors that shape ecosystems, and major biomes of the world. Identifying these important interacting parts and having students think about and provide ideas as to why these parts are important will help them understand the make-up of ecosystems. This is a good way to start the unit because the lessons following all build onto one of these terms or basic ideas.
How I made the topic meaningful for students:
Throughout this lesson I make references to the students, the community and ecosystems they live in, and bodies of water they would be familiar with (i.e. Narragansett Bay). In the opening and closings of the lessons I would ask questions that relate the material to the students and have them draw similarities between themselves and the topic.
How I made use of inquiry:
Throughout this unit I've included an inquiry activity on food webs, and the water cycle.
Title: Ecology
Author: Kathryn Capone
Grade Level: 10/11
Course: Honors Biology
Purpose of Unit
Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with how organisms interact with one another and with their environment. The purpose of this unit is to teach students the concepts of ecosystems and the critical relationships that exist within it. Students will analyze how energy flows through these systems, and the diversity and impact of organisms, communities, and populations around us.
This unit on ecology will begin in January and take place immediately following a unit on photosynthesis. The ecology unit will take about 2 1/2 weeks to cover, including a common task, two quizzes, and a unit exam.
First, students will gain knowledge of the principles of ecology, including what ecology is, what ecologists do, and identify different biomes and important aspects of an organism’s environment (i.e. biotic vs. abiotic factors). Next we will study how energy is either produced or consumed by different organisms and study how this energy flows through systems (i.e. food webs). Students will complete a common task in which they will analyze food chains and webs and work to display proficiency. Students will then compare and contrast different biomes of the Earth, while analyzing factors that identify communities and their existence. Next, we will look into the cycling of important nutrients and matter (i.e. nitrogen cycle) within an ecosystem and learn the important processes involved in each, relating this back to how organisms obtain these nutrients. Lastly, students will understand the importance of biological diversity, environmental and human impacts on ecosystems, and the role of ecologists.
Learning Performances and Standards
LS2 (9-11)-3 - https://riscienceteachers.wikispaces.com/LS2+%289-11%29+-3
LS2 (9-11)-4 POC+SAE-4 4a, 4b
LS4 (9-11)-9 NOS+INQ-9 9a, 9b - https://riscienceteachers.wikispaces.com/LS4+%289-11%29+-+9
4.02.3
4.02.4
4.02.9
Outline, Concept Map, or other Graphical Representation of the Concepts Addressed in the Unit
Lesson Sequence
K.C. Lesson 1- What is Ecology?
K.C. Lesson 2 - Energy Flow
K.C. Lesson 3 - Energy Pyramids
K.C. Lesson 4 - Quiz and Inquiry Activity
K.C. Lesson 5- Day 1 of Common Task
K.C. Lesson 6- Day 2 of Common Task
K.C. Lesson 7- Day 3 of Common Task
K.C. Lesson 8- Water Cycle and Nutrient Cycles
K.C. Lesson 9- Nutrient Cycles continued...
K.C. Lesson 10- Quiz # 2/ Community Interactions and Human Impact
K.C. Lesson 11- FB activity and Review for Unit Test
EXAM
Assessment Plan
Summative Assessments:
- Quiz on food chains, webs, and energy flow
- Quiz on the cycles of matter
- Unit Test
Formative Assessments:
- Homework
- Questions asked during lessons that foster higher level thinking skills in Bloom's Taxonomy including analyzing, synthesizing,
compare/contrast, and differentiating.
- Quizzes can also be used as formative assessment because once graded, I can see where students are still struggling and where
some confusion lies. I plan to address these before moving on.
Rationale
Rationale of lesson sequence:
The first day students will be able to start thinking about the study of ecology, and how organisms relate to one another and their surroundings by completing the biosphere activity demonstrating the levels of organization, and by completing the homework comparing and contrasting biotic and abiotic factors of an environment. This first day the students learn basic terms such as what producers are, what consumers are, how each obtain energy, environmental factors that shape ecosystems, and major biomes of the world. Identifying these important interacting parts and having students think about and provide ideas as to why these parts are important will help them understand the make-up of ecosystems. This is a good way to start the unit because the lessons following all build onto one of these terms or basic ideas.
How I made the topic meaningful for students:
Throughout this lesson I make references to the students, the community and ecosystems they live in, and bodies of water they would be familiar with (i.e. Narragansett Bay). In the opening and closings of the lessons I would ask questions that relate the material to the students and have them draw similarities between themselves and the topic.
How I made use of inquiry:
Throughout this unit I've included an inquiry activity on food webs, and the water cycle.